richardson



J. V. RICHARDSON.

TENONINJG MACHINE.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Attorneys J. V. RICHARDSON. TENONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man APR. 2|. |915.

I L i u Witnesses Aby i.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor f y Antorneys J. V. RICHARDSON.

TENONING MACHINE.

APPLAlcATloN FILED APR. 21. 1915.

1,1 93,612. Patented Aug. 8,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Nitnesses JOSEPH V. RICHARDSON, OF GOSl-IEN, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SUPEROR LADDER CO., 0F GOSI-IEN, INDIANA.

TENONING-ll/IACHINE.

Application led Apri121, 1915.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that JOSEPH V. RICHARD- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing' at Goshen, in the county of Elkhart and State of indiana, have invented a new and useful Tenoning-Machine, of which vthe following is a specification. j

rlhis invention relates to machines particularly designed for turning or tenoning the ends of ladder rungs and devices of a similar nature.

One of the objects of the invention is to. simultaneously turn or tenon both ends of a rung, means being employed for gradually rotating the rung as it 1s passed through the machine and while being acted on by the cutter so thatthe rung` will issue from the machine in a finished state, the operation of turning the ends being accomplished quickly, accurately and neatly.

A further object is to provide a machine of this character which can be adjusted readily for use in connection with rungs or the like of different lengths.

lith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description' proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter de scribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of` the invention herein disclosed, can be made.

within. the scope of what is claimed,.with out departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been.

shown.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view tion between one of the rolls and the shaft driving the same. Fig. 7 is a section on line C-D Fig. G. Fig. S is a section through a portion of a modified form of machine.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a frame of any suitable construction, preferably provided with Specification of Letters Patent.

v Datented Aug. 3, 1916.

Serial No. 22,845.`

longitudinal guide rods 2 the ends of which are fixedly secured to the ends of the frame while depending from the middle portions of the lower guides is a hanger 3.

Mounted .on the guide rods 2 between hanger 3 and each end of the frame 1 is a slide madeA up of cross heads 4 and 5 and which cross heads are connected, in any suitable manner, as by means of tie rods G. The heads 5 of the two slides are provided, adjacent their ends, with interiorly screw threaded bushings 7 and extending through these bushings and loosely through the heads 4 of the slides are parallel adjusting shafts 8. Those portions of the shafts adjacent and within the bushings are screw threaded, as shown at 9 and the shafts are so threaded that when rotated in one direction they will shift the slides toward each other whereas, when rotated in the opposite direction they will move the slides apart. The two shafts 8 are journaled at their ends within the ends of the frame 1 and are provided at one end with beveled gears 10 meshing with gears 11 secured to the ends of a transverse shaft 12 journaled upon one end of the frame 1. One end of shaft 12 is provided with a. crank 13 or the like whereby said shaft can be rotated readily for the purpose of effecting the described adjust` ment of the slides.

Arranged on the cross heads 4 and 5 of each slide are bearings 14 and journaled within these bearings on each slide is a tubular shaft 15 provided with a pulley 1G or the like. The'two tubular shafts 15 eXtend inwardly to ard each other beyond the cross heads 5 of the slides and are provided, at their inner ends with cutter heads 17 of any preferred construction and proportions.

rlhe two pulleys 1G are driven by endless belts 18 or the like extending downwardly into engagementwith drive pulleys 19 secured to the main or drive shaft 20 of the machine` this drive shaft being journaled within the hanger 3, the` ends of the frame 1, and within additional hangers 21 which ei:- tend downwardly from the heads 4 and 5 close to the sides of the pulleys 19. Shaft E20 can be driven in any suitable manner, a pulley 22 being preferably provided at one end thereof. The pulleys 19 are feathered on the shaft 2O and the hangers 21 constitute shifting means so that, when the slides are adjusted toward or from each other, a corresponding adjustment of the pulleys 19 is effected.

One end of shaft 20 has a worm 23 designed to transmit motion, through a worm gear 24 to an upwardly extending shaft 25, there being a gear 26 loosely mounted on this shaft but which is adapted te be coupled thereto by means of a shiftable clutch member 27 which may be operated by means of a lever 28. Then the clutch member is in engagement with gear 26, said gear will be coupled to the shaft 25 but, when the clutch member is moved out of engagement with gear 26, the said gear will be left free to rotate on the shaft 25. Gear 26 constantly meshes with a larger gear 29 secured to one end of a shaft 30 which is j ournaled in the heads 4 and 5, said heads being adapted to slide along the shaft. Secured to the shaft 30 at points between the heads are feeding disks 31 each of which is provided at its periphery with recessed shoulders 32, the corresponding shoulders on the two disks being arranged directly opposite each other. These disks work between the lower ends of angular feed strips 33 which are inclined downwardly and inwardly from the outer portions ofthe heads 5 and are secured to the said heads so as to move therewith.

Secured to cach of the heads 5 close to the inner ends of the feed strips 33 are arcuate supporting strips 34 concentric with the axis of tubular shaft 15 and forming a table. These supporting strips 34 are located directly under and concentric with gripping rolls 35 which are mounted on a shaft 36 extending through and adapted to rotate within the tubular shaft 15. Shaft 36 is journaled at its ends upon the ends of the frame 1 and is provided, at one end, with a gear 37 constantly meshing with a gear 38 secured to the upper end of shaft 25. Rolls 35 are designed to tightly engage and bear downwardly on the stock supplied to the machine so as thus to hold the stock firmly on the supports 34, as hereinafter pointed out.

Each roll 35 is preferably adjustably connected to its drive shaft 36 and one means for effecting this adjustment has been shown particularly in F ig. 6. By referring to this figure it will be seen that a disk 42 is keyed to the shaft 36 and has openings 43 through which bolts 44 extend loosely into one face of the roller 35, this roller being mounted for rotation on a tubular sleeve 45 secured in one end portion of an arm 46. The bolts 44 are free to work within the openings 43 and,

" consequently, the roller 35 is free to move to a position where it is eccentrically disposed relative to shaft 36 although being continuously driven by said shaft through the disk 42 and the bolts 44, as will be obvious. Arm

46 is pivotally mounted upon one of the rods 2 and has a laterally extending ear 47 overhanging a bracket 48 extending from the adjacent head 5. A bolt 49 extends upwardly from this bracket and through the ear 47 and mounted on this bolt is a coiled spring 50 which thrusts downwardly on the ear 47. Thus a constant pressure is eXerted upon the arm 46 with the result that the sleeve 45 presses the roller 35 downwardly to a position where it is eccentrically disposed relative to the shaft 36. The roller 35, however, is free to move upwardly against the action of spring 50 without, however, interfering with the transmission of motion from the shaft 36 through disk 42 to the roller 35.

A delivery table preferably made up of opposed angle strips 39, is preferably inclined downwardly and outwardly from the machine, the inner ends of the strips being located where they can receive the stock as it is delivered from the supporting strips 34 in a finished condition.

In using' the machine the slides are adjusted toward each other by means of the mechanism hereinbefore described so as thus to bring the cutter heads the desired distances apart. The lower feeding or carrying disks 31 are likewise adjusted along their shaft 30 so as to engage the stock at points between its ends and the upper feeding or grippings rolls are adjusted to assume positions close to the table or supporting strips 34 which are located directly under the cutter heads. l/Vhen shaft 2O is in motion, motion is transmitted therefrom through the belts 18 to pulleys 16 with the result that the cutter heads are rotated at a high speed. The worm 23 and gear 24 constitute speed reducing means and motion is transmitted therethrough from shaft 20 to shaft 25 which, in turn, constantly transmits motion through the gears 37 and 38 to the shaft 36 on which the upper carrying or gripping rolls 35 are mounted. The rods or other stock to be acted on are placed on the inclined feed strips 33 and will be supplied by gravity, one at a time, to the rotating disks 31. As these disks revolve in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4, the shoulders 32 thereof will successively engage the rods and lift them onto the supporting strips 34 where they will be gripped by the spring pressed rolls 35 and forcibly rolled along the strips 34 to the delivery strips 39. During this positive rolling of the rods they will be acted on by the rapidly rotating cutter heads with the result that when the rods Iare discharged from the strips 34 and onto It is to be understood that Various changes may be made in the machine without departing from the spirit thereof, it being possible to use means other than those described for rolling the stock along the table or supporting strips 34s while being acted on by the cutters, thus to properly turn the stock while at the same time feeding it through the machine. Furthermore the use of cutters for simultaneously engaging two ends of each rod greatly expedites the operation of producing tenons on the ends of the rods, and, furthermore, tends to equalize pressure upon the stock so that there is no danger of the stock becoming disarranged while passing through the machine. rllhe rolls 35 will slip upon the stock should the cutter heads require it in order to prevent injury to the stock.

The driving mechanism can be varied so as to cause the cutter heads to rotate in either direction desired, it having been found that under some conditions it is desirable to have the cutter heads rotate in one direction so as thus to thr v' he chips downwardly, whereas in other constructions it is preferred to have the chips thrown upwardly.

Instead of using smooth rolls for rolling the stock along the supporting table, gears can be used for this purpose, the rungs being received between the teeth of the gears and thus carried positively along the table.

il here gears are used for this purpose motion can be transmitted directly to them from drive gears as shown in Fig. 8 wherein the feed gears have been indicated at l0 and the drive gears at 4:1.

Vhat is claimed is l. rThe combination with a fixed arcuate support and revoluble means for lifting articles one at a time onto the support, of a revoluble cutter concentric with the support, a shaft extending through the cutter, means supported by and revoluble with the shaft for engaging the articles at points between their ends to roll them along the support while acted on by the cutter, and means for pressing said article engaging and rolling means yieldingly against the engaged artieles.

2. The combination with an arcuate fixed support, and a shaft concentric with the support, of a revoluble cutter supported by the shaft, an article engaging roller mounted upon and shiftable radially to said shaft,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for yielding means for pressing the roller against the articles on the support to roll said articles while being acted on by the cutter, means for transmitting motion from the shaft to the roller independently of such radial movement of the roller, and an additional means for rotating the critter' upon the shaft.

3. The combination with arcuate fixed supports and a shaft concentric with the supports, opposed heads slidably mounted on the shaft, means for adjusting the heads toward or from each other, said means being shiftable with the heads, spaced cutters mounted for rotation on the shaft, tubular bearing members fitted loosely on the shaft and mounted to move radially relative thereto, spring pressed supports for the bearing members, rollers journaled on said bearing members for engaging articles and rolling them along the supports, and a coupling between the shaft and each roller for transmitting motion to the roller independently of the radial movement of said roller relative to the shaft.

4:. The combination with arcuate fixed supports and a shaft concentric with the supports, opposed heads slidably mounted on the shaft, means for adjusting the heads toward or from each other, said means being shiftable with the heads, spaced cutters mounted for rotation on the shaft, tubular bearing members fitted loosely on the shaft and mounted to move radially relative thereto, spring pressed supports for the bearing members, rollers journaled on said bearing members for engaging articles and rolling them along the supports, and a coupling between the shaft and each roller foi` transmitting motion to the roller independently of the radial movement of said roller relative to the shaft, said coupling including a disk iixedly secured to the shaft and engaging one side of the roller, said disk having openings theein, and means extending loosely through the openings and into engagement with the roller for fastening the roller to the disk.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH V. RICHARDSON.

lllitnesses VILLIAM J. Davis, L. V. MACDONALD.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

